Can be found at the youth, high school, college, and professional levels. An individual who participates in sports. Characterized by dedication, focus, intelligence, and work ethic. Athletes usually are overshadowed in high school by Jocks; they are too busy to do much grandstanding. Most pro players are athletes rather than jocks.

The athlete is intelligent, hard-working, and a decent human being. He has fallback plans for the future in case he can't play pro. The jock is arrogant, stupid, lazy, and an asshole. He has no plans for the future beyond high school whatsoever.

Jocks are drinking and fucking cheerleaders while athletes are training, studying, or participating in worthwhile extracurriculars.

Ryan Leaf was a jock. Steve Young was an athlete. Both were standouts through college, but look at the difference in their NFL careers.

a person (male or female) who actively and competitvely competes in sporting events. They have kick ass bodies and are envied by many. They are usually very intelligent but sometimes afraid to show it. The term "JV" is a death sentence to a true athlete. they aren't arrogant and are usually confused with jocks who are low life losers. they wear any style except (in most cases) hippie, goth, and emo. You can find them at practice, the courts, the pool, the fields, or the track. and yes, cheerleaders and dancers ARE athletes. athletes don't give up and the female athlete tends to be a great flirt. she with many sports gets many guys.

as opposed to a jock, people who dedicate their time to pursue a career in sport and don't have 100% arrogance because of their superior fitness to non-sportsmen! have a competitive edge though through their sports dedication, and sees life outside their sport, and not always their jock teammates (not always their mates), girls and beer!

Campbell is an athlete loved by everyone through his dedication to his many talents in various sports and community service!

doesnt play a sport because he or she likes it...they just cant imagine their life without it. they live for the way they feel after they achieve their goals...they become a family with their team..
work their asses of to improve as much as they can....much better than stupid jocks...they hang out with whomever they want but like to be with their team mates mostly ...

dayyum isiah is a great athlete .. did you see how much his 400m time improved since the last track meet